Odd time question?????

[Earthmover]

How do you go about finding out what time signature a particular song is in??
For example, I was trying Tesla's "Earthmover"
(no relation)
and couldn't figure what time sig he's in.

Thanks, Bryan

[Michael Render]

Great question. There are also sorts of tricks - listen to the kick and snare and count between downbeats.
Earthmover is mostly 4/4, but that bridge is weird. I think it is still 4/4 but they are "playing over the bar." It sounds lile a dotted 8th pattern that resolves in 8 bars. Not sure though. Someone with a better ear should check me on that.

[Alan VEX]

4/4 and 11/4 would be my interpretation.

[Joe_K]

In a lot of music you can go about it by listening for repeats. You are looking for the smallest subdivision/pattern that provides a recurring phrase (it could be rhythmic or melodic). If you want to say it in a word, you are looking for the motif.

The guitar, bass and drums during the odd time in Earthmover are pretty much in sync accent wise, and they are all forming the motif.

All that is left is to count. Don't return to 1 until the motif you identified begins again. In this song, I could first hear the motif in the guitar phrase and then it was easiest for me to count in 8th notes (with the HiHat).

11/4 works, as Alan said. I prefer alternating 6/4 & 5/4, since there is a harmonic and rhythmic structure that I hear being repeated after 6/4 (not an exact repeat, of course. A motif can develop and have permutations, it isn't a strict repeat.).

[Hercules]

Hey guys,

It's easy - just count it 1/1 time - every song fits in

[smile]

Hercules, you're a genius!

"what was that?...."

"1/1 - keep up!"

[drum head )'>]

all my new songs will be in 1/1 time.
Sure, counting the rest of band in is more difficult, but the simplicity is beautiful. ...the power of 1.

[Earthmover]

Thanks for your help guys, this kind of brings to light that I have a long way to go understanding time theory.

I don't know a lot more than I know...

[evil1rox]

1/1...?


Can you imagine how 32nd notes would sound in that time sig...???

E

[havyck]

A song isn't always "in" a single time signature. I'm working on the keyboard transcription of The Glass Prison by DT and Jordan threw in a few different time signatures here and there, so things can change.

Try a song that's a little more challenging like Planet x's 21/16, there's a fun time signature to count in.